


The Things You Do

by seolarss



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bad Flirting, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Forehead Kisses, Gay, Gay Panic, M/M, Pining, This took me too long, but suddenly renjun is bold, everyone else can go home, for like .02 seconds, he literally never stops, its bad, jaemin is oblivious, jaemin needs chapstick, kisses in general, renjun is also oblivious ig, renjun is nervous all the time, renmin IS the superior dream ship, theyre also the only ship in this fic, they’re in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 04:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18887062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seolarss/pseuds/seolarss
Summary: Five times Jaemin makes Renjun’s heart race, and one time Renjun tries to return the favour.





	The Things You Do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jungwooed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jungwooed/gifts).



> thus isn’t proof read so ignore any mistakes whoop

1

 

he decides that he must have noticed it for the first time last summer. watching jaemin lean back on his hands in the middle of the park, laughing as he tossed a grape in his mouth. they make eye contact for a moment, and renjun feels his heart seize and his face grow warm. donghyuck notices the red on his cheeks and playfully scolds him for thinking dirty thoughts in public. he doesn’t bother attempting to fight his accusations, knowing the way donghyuck worked. instead, he looks back at jaemin, who was already looking, as if he were waiting for renjun’s eyes to meet his. they exchange smiles and renjun finds himself looking down at his hands shyly, feeling like a schoolgirl at the fluttery feeling in his chest. 

 

later that evening, as the seven of them are walking down the pier, ice cream dripping down their arms as the heat melted it more quickly than they could eat it, jaemin sneaks up behind renjun and pulls him close. a surprised yelp leaves renjun’s lips, and he jerks so violently that he drops his popsicle at their feet. jaemin rushes an apology and picks up the stick, watching sadly as the frozen treat slides off and right back onto the wood beneath them. renjun takes one look at the pout on his face and shakes his head, assuring him that it’s okay.

 

“watermelon is my least favourite flavour, anyway.” they both know that he’s lying. 

 

regardless, renjun manages to get jaemin to stop worrying about it, and they walk together, far behind the rest of the group. jaemin squeezes renjun’s cheeks and calls him cute, laughing when renjun sputters and turns red.

 

* * *

 

2

 

renjun realises just how deep he is when he sees jaemin kiss chenle straight on the mouth and feels his blood go cold. chenle clearly hates it as much as renjun, because he screams and shoves jaemin away, falling to the floor as he hysterically rubs at his mouth, wailing about how disgusting na jaemin is. it’s all in good fun, renjun tries to remind himself, as he watches jaemin laugh and chase around the other four in attempts to plant one on them as well. mark bolts and locks himself in the bathroom, jeno pounds on the door to be let in with him, and jisung hides in the coat closet, dragging the still crying chenle inside with him. but donghyuck marches right up to jaemin and gladly takes the kiss, opting to tackle jaemin to the ground in a tight hug right after. jaemin doesn’t once look renjun’s way the entire time, and his heart seizes again, but in a much less pleasant way. 

 

later, as they’re all getting ready for bed, chenle comes into the bathroom and spits his mouthwash into the sink, whining again about his kiss, and how chapped jaemin’s lips are. 

 

“he should have kissed you instead, hyung,” he says, pulling a sheet mask out from behind the mirror. “your lips always look so soft, maybe you could have transferred some of your lip balm to him and made his lips look less ugly.”

 

he’s joking, but renjun chokes on his toothbrush, and in the mirror he can see the tips of his ears turning bright red. thankfully, chenle is too occupied with not tearing his mask that he doesn’t notice. 

 

he retreats to his room after petting chenle’s head and bidding him goodnight. jaemin isn’t in bed yet, doing god knows what in the kitchen. sighing quiety, renjun pulls back his covers and crawls into bed, covering his head with the blanket and closing his eyes tight. as he falls asleep, he tries not to think about what jaemin’s lips would feel like against his own. 

 

he wakes up briefly when jaemin comes into their room, smelling like a shower. he tiptoes around the room until he notices renjun’s eyes on him, and he smiles. 

 

“i’m sorry, did i wake you?” renjun nods minutely, probably not enough for jaemin to see. if he does, he doesn’t mention it. “i was kicking jisung’s ass at fortnite, that’s why i’m in so late.”

 

renjun is dangerously close to falling asleep again, and his brain spews out the first thing it comes up with. “did you kiss him too?”

 

“what?” he can hear the confusion in jaemin’s voice, but thinks nothing of it. he gets kind of angry, but he has too little energy to do much about it except whine.

 

“why didn’t you try to kiss me?” he kicks one foot weakly as a sign of his indignation. “you tried to kiss everyone but me, and that’s stupid and unfair.”

 

“i’m sorry, i didn’t realise--” jaemin begins, but renjun had spent all of his energy on that one complaint, and he falls asleep quickly.

 

the next morning, jaemin is already out of bed and in the kitchen by the time renjun wakes up. it’s unusual, but he thinks very little of it as he pads out of the bedroom. jaemin is standing at the counter, already dressed and drinking his disgusting coffee, wrapped up in a seemingly very serious conversation with jeno. renjun yawns, and the small noise makes the two of them jump. jeno looks like a deer caught in headlights, but jaemin simply smiles at him, bidding him a good morning. renjun notices, though, the redness creeping up his neck.

 

“you two are weird,” jeno says, mostly to himself, getting up and moving into the living room. renjun doesn’t understand. 

 

* * *

 

3

 

it’s dark outside and in the apartment, but the tv illuminates everyone’s faces as they stare ahead dumbly. they’re rewatching infinity war before they go and see endgame the next day. chenle is right in front of the television, craning his neck uncomfortably to see. mark, jeno, and renjun are sitting on the couch, and jisung has a seat all to himself, his phone open and on instagram, but he’s completely absorbed in the movie instead. donghyuck and jaemin are on the floor in front of the couch. jaemin is settled between mark and renjun’s legs, his elbows resting atop each of them.

 

a while later, jaemin scoots between renjun’s legs and looks up, smiling cheekily. “play with my hair?”

 

his hands go to jaemin’s head immediately, fingers twisting through the strands of hair, still damp from his shower. he parts his hair the the right, to the left, and then down the middle, moving his bangs like a curtain on jaemin’s forehead and giggling when his hands get swatted away. he fixes jaemin’s hair and goes back to running his nails lightly over his scalp, returning his focus to the movie. jaemin shivers and presses further against him. 

 

things are getting serious. the group is getting their asses kicked on titan, and things aren’t looking good. renjun’s hands slip off of jaemin’s head in his pure concentration on the movie, and a quiet whine sounds throughout the room. chenle, who has now squeezed beside jisung in the arm chair, shoots jaemin and renjun a dirty look. renjun puts his hands up in surrender, but jaemin sticks his tongue out at chenle. 

 

“stop flirting and watch the damn movie,” chenle hisses. 

 

renjun suddenly feels very warm. he opens his mouth to protest, when jaemin huffs and pulls renjun’s hands back down, into his hair, and leans further back against him.  _ oh,  _ his brain voices intelligently.  _ this is good, i think. _

 

* * *

 

4

 

renjun doesn’t know how to cook. 

 

he has absolutely no idea why he’s up, so early in the morning, cooking with mark and jeno, who also have very little knowledge in the culinary world. he hadn’t realised how easy it was to burn toast until he saw mark do it,  _ three times _ . 

 

jaemin pads into the kitchen quietly, sleep still in his eyes and his face twisted sourly at the smell of burning food. renjun meets his eyes for a split second before he ducks his head down, suddenly very interested in the apple he’s hoping to cut. he can hear jeno and mark fighting about whether to put butter or olive oil in the pan to cook the egg, and jaemin brushes past him on his way to the coffee machine. 

 

renjun pulls the biggest knife they own from the knife block and prays to any deity that exists that he doesn’t somehow find a way to murder someone with it. he makes his way back to the cutting board and takes a deep breath before pushing the blade through the center of the apple successfully. he lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding and continues carefully. he hears someone clear their throat and he looks up for a moment, meeting jaemin’s eyes again. he smiles a stupid smile that makes renjun’s ears feel warm and it takes everything in him to not make a noise like an injured animal. the knife slips off the apple and lands heavily on renjun’s finger, and the shock causes him to slide the knife away from the skin quickly, creating an ugly incision in his finger. 

 

renjun yelps, dropping the knife on the wood and cradling his finger delicately, watching in terror as a drop of blood falls onto an apple slice. jaemin puts his coffee down and rushes to the other side of the counter and taking renjun’s injured finger in his own hands. 

 

“are you okay?” 

 

renjun knows that blood makes jaemin queasy, and it’s puzzling to him that he didn’t immediately run out of the room screaming. mark comes up behind them with a wet wash rag, and jaemin takes it, pressing it gently against the wound, making renjun hiss. jaemin looks up at him, still waiting for an answer to his question. renjun nods weakly, trying to assure him that he’s fine, it’s just a cut. 

 

“i’ll go get a band-aid,” renjun nods again and watches jaemin rush from the room, leaving him alone with mark and jeno.

 

“you have such a good boyfriend, jun,” mark teases, and both jeno and renjun shoot him a look as if to say  _ not the time, mark.  _ he shuts up quickly, his smile disappearing. 

 

jaemin returns promptly with disinfectant and a pororo band-aid, and renjun almost rolls his eyes. everyone in the apartment is at least twenty years old, why did they own band-aids for two year olds? gingerly, jaemin moves the wet cloth away from renjun’s finger, wincing at the blood that had collected, quickly spraying the area with the disinfectant. renjun hisses, shakes his head when jaemin apologises, and watches as he opens the band-aid and wraps it around the rip of his finger. slowly, he brings renjun’s finger to his lips and kisses it, and it takes everything in him to not burst into flames right then and there. behind him, he can hear jeno and mark gasp quietly, and jaemin smiles smugly, eyes flicking to them before returning to renjun.

 

“better?” he asks, and there’s no way that he doesn’t know what he’s doing to him. 

 

“yep, dandy,” renjun pulls his hand away and heads out of the kitchen, abandoning the apple he’d previously been looking forward to eating. “i’m gonna go change, i think i got blood on my shirt.”

 

he knows he didn’t.

 

* * *

 

5

 

“renjun, are you still awake?”

 

renjun pokes his head from under his covers, locking his phone and turning in his bed to look toward the voice. “not yet, no. why?”

 

“i’m kind of hungry,” jaemin says quietly. “will you come with me to get something?”

 

renjun scoffs, and puts his head back under the covers, unlocking his phone and reloading Toon Blast. “I’m pretty sure you can go to the kitchen by yourself, jaemin.”

 

“i don’t want to go to the kitchen.”

 

“what?”

 

“i want triangle kimbap, and we don’t have any in the house. will you come on a walk with me to the corner store?” renjun’s head slowly emerges from his blanket again, squinting in the dark to make out jaemin’s face. “please? i’ll buy you something.”

 

how could he say no?

 

the cold air his renjun as soon as they step out of the apartment, causing a violent shiver to ripple through his small body, shaking him like a leaf. he zips his jacket up to his chin and pulls up the hood before shoving his hands into his pockets, teeth already chattering as he watches jaemin lock the door. eventually, jaemin turns to renjun and flashes his big smile, jerking his head in the direction of the 24 hour market. renjun feels a warm in his chest as he ducks his head and follows him down the steps. 

 

the journey is quiet, save the occasional quip from jaemin and the snort renjun lets out in response. he’s nervous, and his hands are shaking inside his coat pocket. 

 

when they reach the convenience store, jaemin holds the door open for renjun and he smiles shyly in thanks, ducking into the warmth of the building and pulling his hood off. jaemin greets the person at the counter before making a beeline for the cold shelves. renjun bows at the worker and follows behind jaemin. 

 

“should i get tuna and kimchi or spicy chicken?” jaemin mumbles, mostly to himself. he picks up both and examines them closely, humming in contemplation. 

 

“chicken is your favourite meat, get that one,” renjun speaks, scanning the other foods in the area. 

 

jaemin looks up from the food, eyebrows furrowed. “how do you know that? everyone else thinks it’s pork.”

 

renjun feels himself flush. “i dunno,” he shrugs. “i thought it was obvious. you eat all the chicken before i can get to it.”

 

jaemin smiles sheepishly. “sorry about that.”

 

renjun shakes his head and watches jaemin pull two packages of the chicken kimbap from the shelf. he puts the tuna one back and with his free hand, grabs a carton of peach milk. renjun nearly gags. he grabs a carton of strawberry milk for himself and ignores jaemin’s nose scrunching in disgust. two can play at this game, he thinks. 

 

they make their way to the front and set their things on the counter, watching the woman scan in silence. jaemin pulls out ₩10,000 and sets it on the counter, smiling and telling the clerk to keep the change. they leave the store and jaemin begs renjun to sit outside the store and eat with him. 

 

“are these not both for you?” renjun is confused, looking at the kimbap being shoved his direction. 

 

“no? did you seriously think i was going to let you get away with just gross strawberry milk? eat up.”

 

quietly, renjun takes the food from jaemin and sits beside him in the curb. he watches jaemin unwrap the kimbap and shove well over half of it in his mouth with the first bite, and he bites the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing as he unwraps his own. he eats with smaller bites, savouring it, and jaemin is complaining about his slow pace. 

 

“shut up and drink your peach milk, brat,” renjun glares at the carton at jaemin’s feet. 

 

“what do you have against peach?” jaemin asks as he opens his drink. 

 

“it’s not against peach, it’s the combination of peach with milk. disgusting.”

 

“well, i could say the same about you and your strawberry milk,” jaemin argues childishly. “strawberries are disgusting.”

 

“you have no taste.”

 

“that’s you,” jaemin bumps their shoulders together and finishes off his milk, standing up. “ready to go?”

 

“wha-?” renjun is just finishing his kimbap. “can i not drink my milk first?”

 

“no, i’m tired now,” he pulls renjun up. “drink it while we walk.”

 

renjun huffs but follows after him anyway, chugging his milk and tossing it into the trash before they leave so he doesn’t have to carry the empty carton for their walk. jaemin is humming a song that is vaguely familiar to renjun, but he doesn’t bother to ask what the song is. 

 

the walk seems shorter this time, and they’re back at the apartment building in what feels like moments, renjun jumping up and down to keep warm as jaemin fumbles with the keys. they stand in the vestibule for a moment to warm up, and jaemin pinches renjun’s red ears, scolding him for not putting his hood up on the walk back. renjun glares up at jaemin as he holds his head in his hands, but he only gets a laugh in response. his breath smells like peach, and he finds himself wondering what it tastes like. his face goes red at the thought and jaemin’s smile drops. 

 

“you were just freezing, how are you already overheating?” he asks like a complete idiot. 

 

they finally make their way up to the third floor. jaemin drops his keys on the floor as soon as they enter the apartment, and renjun has to cover his mouth to keep his stupid laugh from waking up everyone. jaemin breaths harshly behind renjun’s hand, and mumbles something about renjun letting go. slowly, renjun retracts his hand and watches jaemin suspiciously as he picks up his keys and slips off his shoes. 

 

they tiptoe to their room and shut the door quietly behind them. jaemin lets out a loud sigh as he flicks the light on, squinting at the brightness. renjun pulls his hoodie over his head and throws it on the floor by his bed. he goes to crawl under his blanket when he tastes the strawberry milk on his tongue and remembers he should brush his teeth again. jaemin has the same idea, already making his way out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. he’s already started brushing his teeth by the time renjun makes it to the bathroom. he moves slowly, tiredness beginning to rest itself on his eyelids. he sneaks a look at jaemin through the mirror and is met with his eyes looking right back at him. jaemin winks at him, the corners of his lips raising slightly in a smirk, before he bends to spit into the sink. renjun feels like he’s going to die. 

 

he closes his eyes and listens as jaemin finishes up, tapping his toothbrush on the edge of the sink and dropping it into the cup. he opens his eyes again when he hears him clear his throat, and he’s standing right there, oh god. 

 

“i’m heading back. turn off the lights on your way back?”

 

renjun nods dumbly, just barely registering what he’s just been told. jaemin smiles again, his eyes sparkling and full of some unidentifiable emotion, and he leans in, kissing renjun right between his eyebrows. renjun’s breath hitches in his throat, and he wants to bring jaemin closer and kiss him for real  _ so badly,  _ but jaemin is already leaving the bathroom, and renjun’s mouth is full of toothpaste. 

 

his heart knocks wildly against his chest. he looks at himself in the mirror and observes his big eyes and his cheeks flushed. he wonders briefly to himself if jaemin knows what he’s doing, before deciding that it’s a stupid thought. he spits into the sink and rinses his toothbrush, putting it in his own toothbrush holder, and leaves the room, turning off the light on his way out.

 

* * *

 

+1

 

“hey, renjun hyung?” jisung’s small voice pulls renjun’s head out of his book, and he looks up at him from the couch. 

 

“are you okay?”

 

“yeah, i’m fine,” jisung waves him off and sits beside him. “i was just wondering if you liked jaemin hyung.”

 

“what?” renjun squawked. “keep your voice down! what do you mean?”

 

“so you do?” renjun gapes at him, his face burning, and jisung smiles. “you do.”

 

“why do you even want to know?” renjun whines, closing his book and smacking jisung on the shoulder with it. “i’m so embarrassed, oh my god. oh my god, does he know?!”

 

“he’s the most oblivious person in the world, of course he doesn’t know,” jisung rolls his eyes. “but i think you should talk to him. me and chenle and donghyuck hyung are getting bored watching you freeze up around him.”

 

“what about jeno and mark?”

 

“mark hyung is stupid, he doesn’t pay attention to anything but his corgi on nintendogs. and jeno? i don’t think he pays much attention to anything at all.”

 

renjun huffs. “i don’t want to talk to him. that would make things so awkward, we’d have to switch rooms and, ugh.”

 

“c’mon hyung. at least  _ flirt back,”  _ jisung grabs his arm and shakes it. “he’s constantly teasing you and you respond like a doornail. i wanna see how he’d react if you gave him a taste of his own medicine.”

 

renjun closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. on one hand, jaemin’s naturally flirty demeanour would mean he would think nothing of it. on the other hand, renjun has no idea how to flirt, and his big, fat crush on jaemin makes him choke on his own tongue. 

 

“fine,” the words leave his mouth before he has time to register, and jisung’s reaction tells him that there’s no way he can take it back now. 

 

“really?! yes! okay, okay, he’s in the kitchen right now. you should go in there, he’s alone. i’m gonna go get chenle and donghyuck hyung!” jisung is gone before the words finish reaching renjun’s ears. 

 

_ oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god.  _

 

renjun stands from the couch and wipes his already clammy hands on his pants. he makes his way into the kitchen, where jaemin is leaning against the counter with a now empty bowl beside him, his phone in his hand. his face is still swollen, his hair messy and his eyes glazed and half open, and renjun just wants to kiss him forever. jaemin looks up from his phone and watches his renjun move slowly to the island, taking a seat. their eyes meet, and jaemin smiles. renjun feels like crying. 

 

“your eyes shine when you smile,” renjun says dumbly. 

 

“what?”

 

he wants to slap himself. “i said your eyes shine when you smile?”

 

“oh. thanks.”

 

_ you don’t know how to flirt,  _ renjun’s brain offers helpfully.  _ literally, what the fuck are you doing? _

 

“i also, um,” jaemin looks back up from his phone, eyebrows raised. “i like your hair in the morning. it’s...cute.”

 

a knowing smile finds its way onto jaemin’s face. “are you flirting with me?”

 

“uh,” comes renjun’s intelligent reply. “i might be trying?”

 

jaemin hums, locking his phone and setting it down beside his bowl. “continue.”

 

“i don’t know how,” renjun whines. “i don't even know why i’m doing this in the first place.”

 

jaemin makes his way over to the island and stands in between renjun’s legs. his hands rest atop his thighs, the warmth burning through renjun’s pants and making him squirm. he feels like if he were a hummingbird, the speed at which his heart was beating would be acceptable. unfortunately, he has to remind himself, he isn’t a hummingbird, and he can’t fly away from this conversation either. 

 

“do you like me, renjun?”

 

renjun is having trouble breathing. jaemin is so  _ close,  _ he can smell his lotion. he drops his gaze to his hands, fumbling nervously with his fingers. 

 

“i mean, i guess,” he mumbles. 

 

“and the point of this is..?”

 

“you’re always making me nervous,” renjun feels like he’s about to start crying, he’s so afraid. “jisung told me to give you a taste of your own medicine, and i said yes without thinking that i actually had no clue how to do that.”

 

he hears a muffled yell from the living room, and he knows he’s going to have to apologise to jisung later. 

 

“so i make you nervous,” jaemin says, and renjun nods as if it weren’t already the most obvious thing in the world. jaemin giggles and renjun wants to punch him. “that’s cute.”

 

“can you shut up?” renjun whines. 

 

“mmm, no.”

 

so, renjun makes him. he decides, in that moment, he might as well go all out if he’s already embarrassed himself this much. jaemin’s lips are as chapped as chenle had said, and it’s kind of gross, but renjun also couldn’t care less. 

 

“oh my god, thank god,” renjun says when he pulls away. “i was worried you were gonna push me away and run screaming.”

 

jaemin laughs, looking far too calm considering what just went down. “nah, i’ve been wondering how long it was going to take for you to crack.”

 

renjun’s blood goes cold. “what?”

 

“you heard me.”

 

“so you knew i liked you?” 

 

“it was kind of obvious. especially after you got mad at me for not kissing you like a month ago.”

 

renjun’s eyes widen. he’d forgotten completely about that incident. suddenly, renjun doesn’t feel like he needs to apologise to jisung at all. he’ll give him something else, that’s for damn sure. 

 

“i want to scream, oh my god, i’m the stupidest person in the world,” renjun covers his face with his hands. “please let me know when the ground opens up so i can jump in.”

 

jaemin moves his hands and kisses him again, and renjun feels it. he feels the urgency and wonders how long he’s waited for this. he wants to tell himself that he’s waited longer than renjun has, but it feels impossible. 

 

his hands go to jaemin’s chest and he can feel his heartbeat through the big sweatshirt he’s wearing. renjun pulls away again, ignoring the quiet sound jaemin makes at the back of his throat. 

 

“you’re nervous,” he observes. “i made you nervous.”

 

jaemin rolls his eyes. “that’s not new, renjun. my heart is like this whenever you’re around, it’s almost become the norm.”

 

“really?”

 

“why would i lie about that?”

 

renjun decides that makes sense. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> this is completely self indulgent ur so welcome


End file.
